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"Work in the Triangle" Announces Raleigh Ambassador Contest

Talent Attraction Initiative Hosts Video Contest To Find A Raleigh Ambassador To Win A Trip To South by Southwest In Austin, Texas

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. XX, 2013 – Work in the Triangle, an initiative of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Raleigh Economic Development has announced that they will host the Work in the Triangle #Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador Contest, an unprecedented chance to become a unique promoter of the area and its assets via social media while having fun and most expenses paid at the same time. Endorsed by Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane and the City of Raleigh, this contest is an exciting opportunity for Triangle residents to share why they love to live, work, play and learn in Raleigh. The winner will be awarded with a platinum all-access pass to the 2014 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) festival in Austin, Texas, and a guaranteed spot on a one-of-a-kind RV carrying some of Raleigh’s top community leaders and entrepreneurs. During that trip, the ambassador will post social media updates along with the way to build up excitement about the event as well as meet with local officials and spread the word about what makes Raleigh special during stops along the way to Austin.

Upon arriving at SXSW®, the #Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador will represent Raleigh in person and on social media throughout the entire event, showing everyone at home how much fun they are having, and showing the rest of the world why Raleigh is the best city to live, work and play. SXSW® is an annual music, film and interactive conference and festival that will be held Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 16.

Those interested in entering this chance-of-a-lifetime contest must film a one- to two-minute video explaining why they should represent Raleigh at SXSW®. To participate, the video must be publicly uploaded to the participants’ personal YouTube account using the hashtag #Raleigh2SXSW. Once the video has been uploaded, entrants must submit a link to the video on the #Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador entry form at www.workinthetriangle.com/Raleigh2SXSW by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27. Additionally, participants are encouraged to promote their participation in the contest on Twitter, Facebook and their other social media networks, using the contest hashtag, for serious consideration as an ambassador.

Videos will be judged on creativity, originality and entrants’ passion for Raleigh as well as their influence on social media. All videos must be submitted by the given deadline and must not include profanity, nudity, drug use or any other inappropriate behavior. Entrants who reside outside the Triangle are ineligible for this contest.

All entries will be judged by a panel of Raleigh community business leaders who will choose several finalists. Once the finalists are announced, the contest will be open for public voting, which will end on Friday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. The video with the highest number of votes will be named as the official #Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador and be recognized in all promotions prior to and during Raleigh’s participation in the 2014 South by Southwest® festival as a leading voice for the community

“We are very excited to not only be able to provide a Raleigh resident with the opportunity to travel to Austin for SXSW® with some of our areas top entrepreneurs and technology professionals, but to be able to have an official ambassador from Raleigh to formally represent our great city to the rest of the country,” said Jennifer Bosser, assistant executive director for Wake County Economic Development. “Given the high level of innovative thinkers and creative minds we have in this area, I eagerly await the outstanding videos I know will be in contention for the high honor of earning the right to be the #Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador.”

“We are really looking forward to finding our Raleigh2SXSW Ambassador and bringing this person with us to Austin,” said James Sauls, director of Raleigh Economic Development. “This contest a perfect opportunity for residents to share why they love to live, work and play in Raleigh, and will provide one lucky person with a one-of-a-kind chance to fully experience the annual SXSW® Festival and share with the nation why Raleigh is a leading city for entrepreneurs, top talent and emerging technology companies.”

Work in the Triangle is a regional talent attraction initiative to connect and recruit top talent with employers and job opportunities in the key industry clusters of the Triangle area of North Carolina. The initiative, led by Wake County Economic Development (WCED), is in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Competitive EDGE4, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Chapel Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Economic Development, Research Triangle Foundation and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership. The initiative’s talent recruitment strategy is to position the Triangle nationally and internationally as a smarter place for talented skilled professionals to work, live, play and learn by leveraging social, digital and mobile media, and developing content, including videos, testimonials and resource links. For more information, please visit http://www.WorkintheTriangle.com.

ABOUT RALEIGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Raleigh Economic Development (RED) functions as the lead economic development, sales and marketing partner for the City of Raleigh, N.C. RED is responsible for marketing, business recruitment and business retention services for the city. For more information, please visit http://www.raleigh4u.com.

ABOUT WAKE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Wake County Economic Development (WCED), a program of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, is the primary economic development organization for Wake County and its 12 municipalities. WCED hosts clients evaluating Wake County for possible facility locations each year and facilitates dozens of corporate expansions, resulting in new jobs and capital investment for Raleigh and Wake County. Services available to companies that are considering relocating or expanding in Wake County include economic and demographic research, site and building inventory searches, visitation itineraries, community tours, corporate executive and employee briefings, employee relocation assistance, and post-relocation services. For more information, visit www.raleigh-wake.org.

ABOUT THE GREATER RALEIGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is the Triangle’s largest nonprofit business membership organization made up of more than 2,400 member firms representing two-thirds of the private sector employment in Wake County. The Chamber has represented the interests of the local business community since 1888. For more information, visit http://www.raleighchamber.org.